Vilson Meshi was described by his friend as a "cuddly bear"
Three teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man's body was found in a burned-out car.
Vilson Meshi, 30, was found dead inside an Audi A4 on Pincey Mead near Pitsea Road, Basildon, on Saturday.
Two 16-year-old boys and a 15-year-old, all from the town, were arrested on Wednesday night.
They are still being questioned over the death, police said. A post-mortem examination found he died from smoke inhalation.
Mr Meshi's friend, Anthony Chooah, has described the victim as a "cuddly bear".
Vilson Meshi was discovered inside a grey Audi A4 in Pitsea
Anthony Chooah (right) said he was struggling to come to terms with with the death of his friend Vilson Meshi (left)
Mr Chooah said he was at a loss to understand why anyone would kill him and was struggling to come to terms with the attack.
"He was probably one of the nicest people you could ever meet," he said.
Mr Chooah added: "I've been spending a lot of the last four to five days in constant tears, having anxiety attacks.
"He was a big cuddly bear... but someone has taken his life."
- Published29 February 2016
